The Longest Night

Starred review from May 5, 2014
In this touching and stupendously fresh debut, Braden proves that one doesn’t have to turn an entire genre on its head to get something new and exciting. For Cecily Knight, formerly a Marine captain, and Ian Fairchild, a hotshot criminal defense lawyer in need of a vacation, it’s neither love nor hate at first sight. The two begin as cordial strangers, forced by circumstances and by favors owed to share space in Knight’s remote cabin—he to avoid the temptation of relapse after an injury leaves him addicted to painkillers, she to avoid other people who might inadvertently trigger her PTSD. The two of them grow to respect, like, and then lust for one another, their relationship hindered by Ian’s overly logical approach to life and Cecily’s self-doubt and fear. Their blossoming is slow, steady, inevitable, and entrancing. Braden allows them to have their doubts and assumptions without making angst the focus of the plot, lending their story credibility and sweetness. Contemporary romance fans will savor every page.

Starred review from June 1, 2014
Ian Fairchild, a brilliant and sophisticated criminal defense lawyer from Manhattan, is left with major back pain and an addiction to narcotic painkillers after an accident. His brother, Preston, calls in a debt and sends Ian to recover at the cabin home of former marine captain Cecily Knight, a location in Canada so remote that one has to fly in because there are no roads. Cecily has been fighting her own demons for seven years since being captured and tortured while deployed. Braden focuses on how their sudden, inconvenient, and wary friendship turns to trust and then love as they help each other heal, thanks to Ian's almost preternatural patience and ability to read body language. The growing depth and intimacy of the relationship is slowly and lovingly revealed by one of the best debuting romance writers in memory, one who can write superb contemporary sex scenes without a hint of coarseness, in which the feelings of both protagonists are made crystal clear. Braden has a genuine gift for this genre, and readers will hope to see many more books carrying her name.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)